Duckling Day Parade Expected to Draw More Than 1,000 Children to the Common Sunday

The Friends of the Public Garden announced that a special guest will make an appearance at Duckling Day this Sunday: Jane McCloskey, the daughter of Robert McCloskley, author of the book that is the inspiration behind the yearly parade.

Jane McCloskey will sign copies of a book she wrote about her father and will have copies of her father’s story, Make Way for Ducklings, on hand. 

"This beloved annual event on Mother’s Day celebrates the classic children’s story about a pair of mallard ducks who decide to raise their family on the island of the Boston Public Garden lagoon and the family’s adventures getting there," according to the Friends of the Public Garden's website. 

More than 1,000 children dressed as characters from the book attend the event each year, the Friends say. The day starts at 10:30 a.m. with registration and entertainment (including face painting, music-making, magicians, balloon artists and clowns) on the Common at the base of the Shaw Memorial, across Beacon Street from the State House, and the parade begins at noon, let by the Harvard Band.

Mayor Thomas Menino and President Emeritus Henry Lee will greet families at the end of the parade, and actors from the Wheelock Family Theater will read Make Way for Ducklings. 

Families can register before the event at the Friends' website, or on the day of the parade. There is a $35 donation per family ($40 the day of the event). You may donate with their secure online system by clicking here.